A Morning Cup of Tea: The Prodigal Son

 Good morning! It's a beautiful, fairly cloudy day here in my area. I must apologize for not posting yesterday. We had an early appointment in another town and because of the lateness of time in getting back to our area, my son J and I spent the rest of the day at my mother's while my husband scurried off to work. It was nearly midnight when we finally came home. I may have to start writing the posts the day before and setting them to publish at the same time, but I need to become more self disciplined in order to do that, I think. I was successful at it for a few days and then my mind began wandering. I could probably do it for other posts but my morning cup of tea posts, I prefer reading  during the morning. It sets the proper tone for the day, I think. I'm more clear headed  in the mornings (most times) and I can usually focus on it without distraction.
   Today we are on chapter fifteen of Luke. The tax collectors and other sinners are gathering closer to Jesus so they can hear what he has to say. The Pharisees of course don't like this because for one, Ugh! How disgraceful to be friendly toward sinners and actually eat with them!  Personally I wonder if part of the problem was they just plain didn't like the fact that others were listening to Jesus when they felt the attention should be on themselves, the Pharisees. After all they did know the law!
  Jesus began to tell them parables about a shepherd who has a hundred sheep. When one goes missing he leaves the others and searches diligently for the one that is lost. And when the sheep is found he calls to his friends asking them to rejoice with him because the one that was lost is now with him and safe again!
 Verse seven of the chapter says I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repenting.
 I love that verse. He loves us all, and there is much joy when we realize we are a sinner and come to repentance. 
  Also is the parable of the woman who has ten silver coins and loses one of them. She will sweep and carefully search the house to find the one that is lost. 
  Jesus then told the parable of the prodigal son. Merriam-Webster defines prodigal this way:

Definition of PRODIGAL

1

: characterized by profuse or wasteful expenditure : lavish <a prodigal feast> <prodigal outlays for her clothes>

2

: recklessly spendthrift <the prodigal prince>

 

Ouch! Profuse or wasteful spending. Recklessly spendthrift.  Not wise at all with money.

   But the parable tells us this young man was impatient for his inheritance. He asked his father for his portion now. His father obliges him and a few days later, the young man is off to see the world. He's spending his money right and left, partying, having a grand old time while his older brother is still at the family home working for his father. But soon the money runs out, as it often does when we spend as if there is no tomorrow, and the land he is in begins to face a serious famine. 

  The young man decides to make himself  a servant and he is sent out in the fields to feed and care for the hogs. Big change there! At his father's house he wanted for nothing and had servants to help him with things, and now he was a servant himself. A rather lowly one at that, since he was beginning to look at the pods for the hogs as something possibly good to eat.

  The young man thinks about what he's done with his life. He wants to go home now, but he doesn't feel he deserves to be his father's son anymore. So he decides he will go home and ask to be a servant for his father.

    Like most if not all parents, the father sees his son coming down the road and his heart is filled with joy. He rushes out to meet the son he hasn't seen since he was given his inheritance. The son is truly repentant of his actions, and asks to be made a servant. But his loving father embraces him, calls to his servants to bring the finest robes! Put a ring on his hand! Kill the fatted calf and prepare it! He wanted to feast to celebrate the return of his son.

   Then there's the older brother. He's been the faithful one, the dutiful one. He hasn't gone off squandering money on wine, women and song. He's been working hard for his father and dad hasn't even given him so much as a goat so that he could feast with his friends!  Yet my bratty little brother goes traipsing off pretty as you please and when he comes back he's treated so wonderfully!

   His father explains to him, Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is now found (verses 31, 31)

  How wonderful that when we come back to our heavenly Father, he will receive us with open arms, rejoicing that the one who was dead is now alive.   God is so good. All the time.

   Before I end this I have a prayer request. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow morning  (I will try to have tomorrow's morning cup post ready tonight but no promises. It may become an afternoon or evening cup depending). I'm a little concerned over the whole doctor visit but I probably shouldn't be. Will you keep me in prayer for peace and that all goes well? Thank you. Until next time, have a wonderful day. 

 

A Morning Cup of Tea; Crucifixion

Good morning! I apologize for not having a cup of tea post out yesterday.That was entirely my fault.
  Today we are in Mark chapter fifteen. It is the morning after Jesus was captured and falsely accused of blasphemy. The chief priests have held a consultation with the the elders and scribes and the whole council, and they bound him over to Pilate.
  Pilate asked Jesus, Are you King of the Jews? Jesus simply answered, Thou sayest it. He spoke nothing more to defend himself when the chief priests accused him. Pilate absolutely knew that whether or not Jesus was the Son of God this man was innocent and the charges were trumped up by those who were jealous of him. Pilate, however, was a politician, and he acceded to the wishes of the people on this one.
 The custom at the time was that a prisoner would be released during the celebration of Passover. Pilate gave the crowd two choices : a murderer by the name of Barabbas, or Jesus. The chief priests moved around the people, urging them to call for Barabbas, which they did.  
  Jesus was scourged, mocked by placing a purple robe and a crown of thorns upon his head, struck, and spit upon. Jesus has had very little if any sleep during this time; he had spent the evening in prayer before his capture. The scourge is possibly the worst beating a person could receive: It consists of several of leather cord in which sharp pieces of stone or glass is embedded. All of this rips into the flesh, leaving gaping wounds and can injure internal organs depending upon how severely a person is beaten. And during all of this, Jesus could have simply said, Enough. I'm not doing this anymore. But he didn't. He who had never once sinned became the sacrificial lamb for you and me, and all others.
  He was taken to Golgotha, and was made to carry his own cross until he no longer could. Then Simon the Cyrenian was compelled to carry it for him.. There Jesus was nailed to the cross and hung between two thieves.
 The cross is an extreme torture device. The nails used to secure a person to the rough wood are large, and the person is positioned in such a way as they eventually cannot draw themselves up enough to breathe properly. They are in severe pain the entire time. During all of this Jesus' clothes were torn apart and the soldiers were casting lots to see who would get the pieces. People were yelling at him to save himself.
At one point the sky darkened. Jesus cried out, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which, interpreted is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? And shortly after he cried out and gave up the ghost. He died there on the cross.
  Because it was so close to the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea quickly asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate granted it once determining that Jesus was dead, and Joseph bought fine linen for the body and wrapped it and placed it in the sepulcre, with a huge stone rolled in front of it.

A Morning Cup of Tea: Matthew 15: 29 - 39

Good morning! Today we are finishing up chapter 15 of Matthew. Please read verses 29 through 39.
  Jesus went near to the sea of Galilee, and headed up into a mountain.Once again the multitudes followed him, and they brought with them sick to be healed, the lame, the deaf, dumb, and blind. Jesus healed them all. They were there three days, and Jesus told his disciples he did not want to send them away hungry. All they had were seven loaves of bread and some small fish. Once again, Jesus took the loaves of bread and the fish and blessed it, and fed the multitudes. This time there were about four thousand men, along with women and children.  When everyone had eaten and the leftovers picked up, there were seven baskets full. 
  Everywhere Jesus goes the people follow, and he always has compassion for them. He healed them, fed them, taught them.  There is much we can do for those around us. We can teach those who wish to learn about Jesus, we can take care of those around us. 
 Have a great day.

A Morning Cup of Tea: Jesus and the Canaanite Woman

 Today's lesson is from Matthew 15 : 21 -39. Jesus at this time was going into Tyre and Sidon. A woman from Canaan came out and asked him to heal her daughter who was possessed by a devil. Jesus didn't answer her and his disciples said send her away! She's bothering us! (Paraphrasing) Jesus said he was sent for the house of Israel. This woman did not give up. She came and worshiped, still asking for help. 
 26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27. And she said, Truth Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
  During this time, their customs placed women on a different level than men. Men didn't normally speak to women during this time, particularly women who weren't Jewish. Women usually were not really educated. Yet this woman was persistent and she had great faith. She knew who Jesus was.
  Jesus was teaching his disciples here. He was showing them that although the main focus at that time was the Jews, they were to eventually reach out to the rest of the world as well. Also, he was showing them her faith. They had seen how some of his own people scorned his message, yet here was this gentile woman who was willing to take what little scraps of compassion he would give to her. She was unwavering in her faith. He rewarded her faith by healing her daughter.  
 She did not give up. And she didn't sit at home waiting for a miracle. She had faith that her daughter would be healed by Jesus and she acted on her faith. 

A Morning Cup of Tea : What Makes Us Unclean?

  Matthew 15: 1-20
The pharisees loved their traditions very much. As we will see in today's reading, they tended to put their traditions on par with if not higher than the law. The scribes and pharisees had to come to Jesus yet again, this time, to ask why Jesus' disciples didn't wash their hands before eating.
  They asked, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? (v2)
 3. But he answered and said unto them,  Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4. For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother, and He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6. And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
  In other words, the pharisees were fine with someone giving money to their parents and having no respect for them at all. Even then it seems that man thought throwing money at a person or a situation would solve problems. Some things never change. 
  Jesus warned them about giving lip service to worship and having nothing come from the heart. 
 8. This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men.
 It is very important to know what God says. The ONLY way to know is to read His Word for yourself. 
  Jesus went on to tell the people, come here and listen: Understand what I am telling you here (paraphrase of  v 10)
11. Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth  a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 
 The disciples were worried that Jesus had offended the pharisees. Jesus told them to let the pharisees alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both fall.  So again,(my thoughts now) be careful who your spiritual leaders are. Know for yourself what the bible says. And I would be wary of anyone who encourages you not to read the bible. There are people out there who know the less you know of God's Word the more they can lead you astray. And most of them will seem so sincere. When Jesus was tempted of the devil in chapter four, he continually rebuked satan saying, "It is written, it is written." and quoted scripture. 
  Peter asked what Jesus meant by saying its not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man.
  Jesus explained that what goes into the mouth goes into the belly and is taken care of the natural way. But what comes out of the mouth (words) comes from the heart. What comes from the heart can defile us.
 19.For out of the heart proceed  evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
 20. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.